Soga Yotsugi
Soga Yotsugi (世継ぎ祖我, Yotsugi Soga; lit. "Successor of the Progenitor's Wisdom"), hailed as one of the greatest of the world, is a famous playwright, and actor notable for his role in revitalizing the art of puppetry. His first appearance was a whirlwind of controversy, mystery and intrigue, as within the desolation of the once proud a magnificent structure of such beauty and splendor appeared as though by magic from hazy mists. It was a theatre and when the curious citizens and wary shinobi stepped inside they were treated to a sight beyond their wildest dreams, a story of pain and loss, struggle and enduring inner strength culminating in a moving finale that resonated within the hearts of victims of the past war. As mysteriously as he appeared he vanished, only to resurface again in another village bringing both the joy and wonder of puppetry back into the world. Soon his fame spread, and with it a renaissance flourished, ushering in a new age for theater and puppetry. It is in these early years, the enigmatic dramatist was known simply as the Playwright (脚本家, Kyakuhonka). But like every mystery, soon the truth of his machinations would come to light. At roughly the same time as his theatrical releases, an unknown and powerful shinobi with unsurpassed infiltration and assassination capability appeared, trading in both his skill and information. In these two stories, the titular character changed the face of the world. One brought about a cultural revolution, molding his audiences in subtle ways through the messages of his plays. The other used his skill to obtain terrible secrets, brokering in information, buying favors, valuable goods, and trading in the lives of entire settlements. In the end both manipulated the world, directing it towards their ultimate objectives as a director directs a screenplay. When the investigating shinobi discovered this correlation, and eventually revealed his deception, he was given the new moniker of, The Puppeteer (人形遣い, Ningyoudukai). Following the release of this information, Soga Yotsugi revealed his identity to the world in the grandest show of all time. A dubious tale recounting the adventure of one man as he played the role of two characters; an up and coming playwright and the mysterious assassin. He had parodied his own life in a fantastical tale of thrilling intrigue. Rather than let the revelation of his identity ruin his reputation, Soga had instead performed yet another deception, by making light of his own tale and presenting it such a comedic fashion, he had effectively saved his reputation and earned himself yet another moniker, Fool of the Gods Entertainment (神楽大の愚, Kagura no Taigu). Now known throughout the shinobi world Soga has become one of its most influential members. Appearance Personality Soga is a playwright first and foremost, all things after are of a secondary concern. This does not mean he is a recluse who holes himself away in a corner desperately reaching for inspiration for the next greatest piece. He is highly curious and inquisitive, possessing a deeply motivated desire to investigate and understand all things that exist in this world. If art is a reflection of society, then to create the most wondrous pieces one must first seek to explore the world in which he resides. So for Soga, every person he meets is a mystery to behold, every miracle of nature is a wondrous phenomena to experience, and every threat, power or enemy; a case to be thoroughly studied. People are what bring character, drama which entices the audience and tragedy which wrenches the heart. To fully immerse himself into his profession Soga thoroughly explores all things considered art; from poetry to construction, to virtually anything that can be created and given life in some way. Perhaps as a puppet himself there is a kindred emotion in doing that which gave birth himself. Or perhaps it is the very nature of the passion which drives him. Because he himself is playwright, and a puppet it is necessary to construct a role, he is if nothing else an actor on the world stage. For this part he plays a playful but professional character, who demonstrates 'proper etiquette', who can be quite demanding in seeing tradition upheld. His speech always includes honorifics, a characteristic to display his humbleness, which when carried into the field of battle displays a calm and cool headed personality. While he is a superb actor and consummate storyteller when dealing with people off the stage he can be rather capricious, changing from one "character" to another in order. It appears that he often forgets that he is not always in a play, lending to a reputation as being sometimes bizarre or erratic to others who do not know him personally. Thankfully such mood swings are spread far enough as to be accounted for the occasional outburst of inspiration, which he dutifully plays up. This passionate yet playful behavior gives him a certain charisma around others who cannot help but find themselves entranced by his dynamic personality. Regardless of the character he portrays, Soga Yotsugi is characterized by an indomitable drive to further his art, an overriding instinct like that which man has to survive. He possesses a rather strange form of morality that relates entirely to the dedication and pursuit of his art. His manipulations of the world with his two characters the playwright and the assassin is one such example, doing it all for the sake of telling a story. He would manipulate the lives of shinobi, and civilian alike either as inspiration for his art or to see such a tale performed on the 'live stage' as he calls it. It's not as if he is a complete monster, but he idea of morality is at best an interesting topic of discussion rather than an ingrained perspective by which he lives his life. He is a pretender; an actor who simply plays the role enjoying its novelty but not really understanding the underlying emotions behind the act. Most of the time however he is simply a dangerously intelligent entity who manipulates people's lives for his own personal amusement, inspiration or profit. He is after-all an idea made manifest, and it is this passion, this desire that he understands better than anything else. Like his creator, this drive defines him in a way that transcends mere mortal understanding for it compels him to actions that can at best be described as otherworldly and sometimes downright monstrous. History Origins Throughout his twilight years sought to create the pinnacle of his craft. He toiled ceaselessly for days on end, discarding one puppet after the next, never satisfied, always searching to go beyond the limits of his art. He created numerous puppets but none more infamous than the , regarded as being so powerful they could conquer an entire castle. Sadly they too were failures, though 'failure' would somewhat incorrect. They were prototypes, templates for his next and greatest masterpiece. If he wanted to create a legacy his art would have need to live beyond its creator, it would need a life of its own. In that moment, his mind found the answer. It took him over ten years to complete the preparations for the procedure, ten years he devoted to crafting the ultimate puppet body, housing thousands of seals powered by chakra gathered from nature and infused with his own essence. It is widely believed that it was who developed the , but many forget that she was a student of Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and the student learned much from her master. At long last Chikamatsu was finished, and with calloused hands and a wry smile he performed his last and greatest act. What was once a mere puppet became something more as pure life essence was poured into it, giving it the missing ingredient- a soul. On that eve, something strange and wonderful had been brought into this world. With no name to call its own, and no history to speak of, it marveled at the existence before. Then it stared at the crumpled form its creator, a contented smile etched on his face as the last vestiges of life left him. With a start it felt something, perhaps an emotion or something as alien as its existence would allow, but it gazed upon its creators form and realized something. He knew from the instant his eyes lay upon Chikamatsu's form that it was him that granted him life. This man was more than its creator, it was its father. From that single moment, a self-identity began to form, no longer was the being an "it" but a "he", the son of Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Like echoes he saw but could not understand distant memories like they were fleeting dreams. Unsure of what to do with these images the unnamed living puppet examined his surroundings and discovered the world that which gave him birth. And like a child desperately wishing for answers for questions not yet asked, it immersed itself into its history. Once again, it could only offer a silent thanks to his father, whose preparations went beyond just this creation. Books of all kind littered the area, a veritable library housed within the facility. So it learned, and learn he did, for it was the title of the very play that had catapulted Chikamatsu into fame that he derived his name; Yotsugi Soga. In an attempt to understand his father, he too delved into puppetry and theater, but his earlier works lacked imagination, emotion and character. Even after reading and committing every single play or drama ever recorded by Chikamatsu, every note, scribble or idea, every discarded puppet he struggled to learn what it was that had driven his master so. He could not find an answer, and so ventured into the world. It was in Sunagakure that he witnessed his first bunraku; or puppet theater. Child of the Theater Soga's first foray into the world of the shinobi was less than glamorous, however it does have all the makings of a wonderful children tale. Dressed in what he believed to be the standard attire of a sunagakure citizen, Soga attempted to infiltrate the village by posing as a wandering merchant. However the clothing he had chosen held as much subtlety as a gleaming sword poised for the kill; he wore a fur cloak that was several sizes too large, bore the mask of an Oni, while dressed in the summer kimono of a fair maiden. On his hands were gloved fit for a warrior while his hakama was secured with a battle harness. Soga believing that if a merchant failed to provide his own cart would in a very pragmatic fashion simply wear all of his merchandise, so when he appeared at the gates of the esteemed village the guards did not know what to think. When he explained his reasoning he was met with a mix of incredulous looks and raucous laughter. Still he was allowed entry into the village. No shinobi would be so daring as to pull an act as he did. How very wrong they were. Upon entering the village, Soga quickly made his way through the village, making simple inquiries regarding theater and play. He was soon directed to one of Suna's many playhouses, and made to enter the premise. But lacking in money he was unable to afford entrance and was turned away. Unbeknownst to Soga himself, and only after a careful revisit to his experience here did he experience his first emotion; determination. Resolving that he would enter the theater he instead tried a different approach. By way of rooftop he infiltrated the theater and then after making his way to ground level, observed the play for a time. To his delight it was a reenactment of one of Chikamatsu's more recent pieces, and having committed the play to memory, he was shocked to find yet another emotion rise within him; anticipation. Unable to contain himself he secretly made his way into the back, incapacitated one of the actors and took his place. Never in his brief existence had he been able to grasp the most basic aspect of being a playwright, until now. On that very stage he performed as though possessed by the spirit of the play itself. He was beautiful in his grace, enchanting with his movements, inspiring with his act. Never before had the play generated such a thunderous applause, and it was here, at this time and place that Soga discovered his fathers love. A promise was made that day, an idea supplanted into him, a dream inherited and one he would continue to make prosper till the end of time. In the aftermath of his breakout role, Soga was quickly drafted by the troupe and became a stage-hand, and actor. Though given his origins he had to concoct a story about his life, claiming that he was an orphan. The story he wove touched their hearts, perhaps too well, which was why the troupe head and his confidants remained suspicious of Soga for much of his time there. Work in the bunraku theater was difficult, compounded by the fact that outside of acting he was in many ways socially awkward, largely due to his inability to truly grasp how everyday interaction should go. Even though his skill was peerless within the troupe, when the curtain closed, Soga was isolated. As he had no need to sustain himself on food, nor did he require sleep Soga discovered something horrifying, something so terrible it would forever change his existence --- boredom. His mind was lit with inspiration, and curiosity and he had found the anathema to his soul, therefore he did what any being in his position would do. He explored. Not just puppetry but all manner of art, of science, of anything that was considered topic. To his delight he found that he had a penchant for research and a curiosity of the world, of discovering its hidden truth. Gradually his fanaticism towards puppetry evolved to one where he began seeking, "the exquisite vision of art hidden by the veil of the world". After several years of working with the troupe, Soga eventually left to go on his own journey of self-discovery. The Journey, Not the Destination When Soga left the troupe and began his journey through the world, the Elemental Nations were embroiled in the First Shinobi World War. Meanwhile Soga was in the midst of a crisis, a question nagging at his mind that demanded answer. What makes someone human? He knew that he was a puppet, but he acted human, and that in his creation he was given life by his father and creator Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Did that make him human? He was not sure, so he set out find just what being human entailed. Therefore the first thing he did was to harvest humans and examine them, and thankfully the war provided him much of the initial material he would need to answer that question. During the war Soga initially traveled in the guise of a merchant, peddling his wares and supplies to refugee's and offering sanctuary to those displaced by the war. He also began investing his finances, having no real living expenses, nor the insatiable greed for opulence that would seize many in his position. He quickly began amassing a sizable fortune, though still preferred traveling and selling his wares in person. He found the experience enlightening as it is here that he developed his social awareness, and indeed it was a challenging struggle. This did not last long however, as enemy shinobi began attacking him in earnest in an effort to secure his supplies and fund their war. A puppet though he was, Soga was an accomplished acrobat, and bukijutsu expert, he proved more than capable against the shinobi. Disheartened that he would have to retire his mercantile persona, he was at the same time pleased at having his first set of ninja bodies to study. Soga made many discoveries regarding the physiology of shinobi, and began documenting his research in earnest. In his quest to understand what it meant to be human he began carrying out extensive experimentation on shinobi bodies, but found to his dismay a wall in studying only the dead. However thanks to his research he was able to isolate numerous characteristics that gave shinobi their edge against the common folk, and had acquired toxins, poisons, and weaponry of all kinds through his time grave robbing at sites of particularly devastating conflict. Then he began taking a more active role in his quest and started going after live specimen. To that end he began hiring the disgruntled ninja and those who would eventually become known as missing-nin to either capture or assassinate potential candidates. Yet for all of his effort to remain secret, his activities had gained the attention of interested parties, introducing a political element to his otherwise simple journey of discovery. Within the shinobi world Soga was a being heard about in whispers, regarded only as the Corpse Gatherer, a ghost who gathered the bodies of the dead, spiriting them away. To the civilians he was a living folklore, to the nobles he a myth, albeit one who inadvertently saved them money and land from the decomposition of the dead. To the shinobi however he was an extremely dangerous unknown, as they often found the left overs of his research during the occasional raid. Abilities Chakra & Life Force Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a genius in the art of craftsmanship, an innovator the likes the Shinobi world rarely ever see's. After years of research and planning he was finally able to achieve his greatest masterpiece, and transfer his life force and transform an object into a living puppet. Few understand the implications of this act of the technique he employed. It is nothing less than one man's derivative of the infamous , for the very act of breathing life into something that does not exist in any other context. As a result of the process that created him, Soga too possesses a remnant of this ability. He did not realize this ability until years later when he began crafting his own puppetry. To his amazement he discovered that he could divide his essence and imbue a portion of his life force into a puppet to give it life, much as his father had done for him. These living puppets, his brothers and sisters all share pieces of himself. They are puppets capable of independent thought, but are all essentially the same as he, all spread as his spies throughout the elemental nations. They are connected through a bond of soul and mind but split between many bodies. The strongest of these living puppets are the Ten Godly Treasures, and it is a testament to his chakra and life force that he is capable of spreading his life force over so many beings for each one to possess phenomenal chakra reserves. It is said that each of the Ten Godly Treasures possesses chakra equivalent to an Elite Jonin. This however is not unexpected. During his research Chikamatsu devoted over a decade in collecting samples and storing chakra from various sources, from nature, to even other shinobi. The collected mass of energy once regulated into a balanced cycle would make Soga a Tailed Beast without a Tail (尾を持たない尾獣, O o Motanai Bijū), in terms of sheer chakra capacity. Physiology Soga possesses a unique physiology due in part to how he was initially created. Puppets as a general rule are created from wood, largely due to its chakra conductive nature. When Monzaemon went searching for the raw materials that would serve as the body for his legacy, he traveled beyond the land's of Suna to find it. In his journey he acquired many rare materials, but due to either their lack of utility or incompatibility quickly discarded what he had found. Eventually he discovered a very unique species tree that grows only in the Land of Fire. These tree's were those that had been grown using the 's infamous , and were thus the most receptive to his experiments. Though these would serve as the primary framework for Soga's structure, allowing for the absorption of natural energy as well as the ability to self-repair, he was outfitted with numerous secondary and tertiary components that serve a variety of combat related and utility purposes. Nature Transformation The procedure that gave birth to Soga instilled within him the primary elemental affinities used in the creation of its primary component and element--- earth, water and when combined, wood. As a result he is fully capable of harnessing his chakra and transforming it into these elements with an ease that most shinobi spend decades honing. Contrary to other ninja, Soga is not required to use hand-seals when performing the Wood Release, as his very body is composed of the element itself. Such a coveted ability, especially given its unique power over the Tailed Beasts and sheer versatility has made him an incredibly powerful and dangerous shinobi. As wood comprises the majority of his body, his chakra is naturally aligned to that of the wood element, allowing him to perform its techniques with such enhanced speed, and power the likes of which no shinobi who was ever able to harness the DNA of Hashirama is capable of. Category:Puppeteer Category:Sunagakure Category:S-Rank Ninjutsu Fuinjutsu Bukijutsu Puppetry Trivia Category:Puppeteer Category:Sunagakure Category:S-Rank